DOE announced last week that it has developed more stringent criteria for
clothes washers carrying the Energy Star label. The new, tougher criteria
are expected to save consumers more than $52.8 million annually. The new
criteria will go into effect on January 1st, 2007, when tougher minimum
efficiency standards for all clothes washers take effect. Under the new
guidelines, models earning the Energy Star label will be 36 percent more
efficient than washers that meet the minimum requirements and will
collectively save more than 185.7 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per
year. The new Energy Star criteria also include water savings requirements
for the first time, resulting in a savings of 8.9 billion gallons of fresh
water each year. See the
<http://www.energy.gov/engine/content.do?PUBLIC_ID=17682&BT_CODE=PR_PRESSRELEASES&TT_CODE=PRESSRELEASE>DOE
press release.

In 1997, less than one percent of clothes washers qualified for the Energy
Star label. Today, Energy Star clothes washers account for more than 30
percent of all units sold throughout the United States, and more and more
efficient models are becoming available each year. See the
<http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=clotheswash.pr_clothes_washers>Clothes
Washers page on the Energy Star Web site.

DOE Announces Four Hydrogen Demonstration Partnerships

[]

Photo of a hydrogen fueling station adjacent to a gas pump at a

In November, this Shell hydrogen fueling station opened at an existing
filling station in Washington, D.C., as part of the DOE partnership.
Credit: Shell

Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman announced the details of four "Hydrogen
Learning Demonstration" partnerships last week at the annual conference of
the National Hydrogen Association. According to Secretary Bodman, companies
are working in four teams on the five-year, $380-million project, for which
DOE is providing roughly half the funds. In northern and southern
California, ChevronTexaco and Hyundai Motor Company will test fuel cells
manufactured by United Technologies Corporation. DaimlerChrysler and BP
will be testing Ballard Power System's fuel cells in hot arid climates like
Sacramento, California, and cold climates like Detroit, Michigan. Ford
Motor Company is also working with BP and Ballard in Detroit, but also in
hot, humid climates like Orlando, Florida. And General Motors Corporation
(GM) is trying out its own fuel cell stack in tests with Shell Hydrogen,
LLC in several locations: New York, Detroit, California, and Washington,
D.C. The four teams will collect data both on the open road and in
controlled test conditions.

Ballard Power Systems, a participant in two of DOE's Hydrogen Learning
Demonstrations, announced last week that it plans to demonstrate a
commercially viable fuel cell stack for hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2010.
The company's technology "road map" sets technology targets for the
durability, cost, freeze-start ability, and volumetric power density of its
fuel cell stacks, targets closely aligned with the goals of DOE's Hydrogen,
Fuel Cells, and Infrastructure Program. Specifically, Ballard aims to
develop a fuel cell that will run for 5,000 hours, start at temperatures as
low as 22 degrees Fahrenheit below zero (negative 30 degrees Celsius),
generate at least 2,500 net watts per liter, and cost $30 per net kilowatt
when produced at a volume of 500,000 units. Over the next five years,
Ballard plans to develop fuel cells embodying such technology advancements
as reduced active area, improved catalyst, and increased membrane
conductivity, while also capable of being manufactured at high volumes.

Toyota announced last week that its 2006 Highlander Hybrid will go on sale
in June with a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $33,030 for
the two-wheel-drive version and $34,430 for the four-wheel-drive version.
The comparable two-wheel-drive version of the V6 2005 Highlander has an
MSRP of $25,990, and the four-wheel-drive version has an MSRP of $27,390.
Toyota notes that the Highlander Hybrid includes more standard options than
the Highlander, accounting for $2,300 of the price difference. That leaves
a premium of $4,470 for both versions of the Highlander Hybrid, assuming
the Highlander MSRPs hold steady for the 2006 model. And just like its
luxury cousin, the Lexus RX 400h, the Highlander Hybrid includes an all-new
traction and stability control system that is included in the base price.

The Highlander Hybrid combines a 3.3-liter V6 engine with a more powerful
version of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive, yielding 268 peak horsepower with
a standard towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. According to Toyota, the
four-wheel-drive Highlander Hybrid will accelerate to 60 miles per hour in
7.3 seconds.

The two-wheel-drive Highlander Hybrid carries an estimated fuel efficiency
rating from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of 33 miles per
gallon (mpg) in city driving and 28 mpg on the highway, for a combined
city/highway fuel efficiency rating of 30 mpg. According to EPA estimates,
the four-wheel-drive version will achieve 31 mpg in city driving and 27 mpg
on the highway, for a combined rating of 29 mpg. That's an improvement of
more than 30 percent over the four-wheel-drive V6 version of the 2005
Highlander, which achieves a combined fuel economy rating of less than 22
mpg. See the
<http://pressroom.toyota.com/photo_library/display.html?kw=Highlander>Toyota
Highlander press releases and fact sheets.

New Jersey Utility to Install 500-Kilowatt Solar Power System

The Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) in New Jersey announced its
plans last week to install a 500-kilowatt solar power system at its
wastewater treatment plant in Atlantic City. The initial phase of the
$3.25-million project involves installing solar panels on three rooftops at
the plant and in a canopy over the parking lot, and should be installed
this summer. By October, three solar arrays will be installed on the ground
in open areas of the plant, completing the installation. The project has
been awarded to WorldWater Corporation and its partner, the Conti
Corporation. See the
<http://www.acua.com/about/pressrelease1.cfm?id=75>ACUA press release.

ACUA has already earned a name for itself by developing the first
utility-scale wind power project in the state. The 7.5-megawatt wind
installation­developed with Community Energy, Inc.­is expected to begin
producing power in mid-year. See the
<http://www.acua.com/Alternative/Services/a_windenergy.htm>ACUA Web site.

Eastern States Offer a Variety of Renewable Energy Incentives

Homeowners, businesses, and other institutions located west of the
Mississippi Riverâand in California in particularâhave in recent years
led the rest of the country in their pursuit of renewable energy, but
Eastern states are now offering a variety of incentives that may just help
them catch up. In Massachusetts, for instance, the Renewable Energy Trust
has launched a new $5-million rebate program for customer-sited solar
photovoltaic systems, wind power, and micro-hydropower systems. The rebates
are for systems up to 10 kilowatts in capacity and can range up to $50,000.
They are designed to offset one-quarter to one-half of the cost of 400 to
500 systems across the state. See the
<http://www.masstech.org/renewableenergy/press/pr_3_05_small_renew.htm>press
release and
<http://www.masstech.org/Grants_and_Awards/GBP/small_renewables_3_03.htm>program
description from the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust.

Maryland has chosen to extend its solar energy incentives, allowing
homeowners, businesses, and local small governments to apply for grants
through May 16th. The grants cover 20 percent of the system cost for solar
water heating and solar photovoltaic systems, and can be as large as $5,000
for non-residential photovoltaic systems. See the press release from the
Maryland Energy Administration
(<http://www.energy.state.md.us/press/050224.pdf>PDF 74 KB).
<http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/alternate.html>Download Acrobat Reader.

New Jersey, meanwhile, has seen a surge in demand from public schools for
its solar energy rebates, which can save 60 percent off the cost of
installation. To help distribute the funds fairly, the New Jersey Board of
Public Utilities (BPU) recently set new criteria that caps the amount
awarded to each school district. New Jersey's Clean Energy Program also
provides incentives to residential, commercial, and industrial projects.
See the <http://www.bpu.state.nj.us/home/news.shtml?14-05>New Jersey BPU
press release.
[]

Created in January, the Green Building Initiative is a nonprofit
organization that promotes energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable
practices in residential and commercial construction. The group works
closely with the National Association of Home Builders and local home
builder associations to create green building programs.

Energy Connections

Nuclear Regulators Give Preliminary Approval to Illinois Site

Efforts to prepare to build the next generation of nuclear power plants in
the United States made progress in early March, when the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced its preliminary conclusion that
environmental impacts would not prevent it from issuing an Early Site
Permit (ESP) for the Clinton site, about six miles east of Clinton,
Illinois. The ESP process allows an applicant to address site-related
issues, such as environmental impacts, for possible future construction and
operation of a nuclear power plant at the site. Exelon Generation Company,
LLC, filed the Clinton application; if approved, the permit would give
Exelon up to 20 years to decide whether to build a new nuclear unit on the
site and to file an application with the NRC for approval to begin
construction. On April 19th, the NRC staff will hold a public meeting to
obtain comments on its draft environmental impact statement. See the
<http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/news/2005/05-044.html>NRC
press release and its
<http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-licensing/esp/clinton.html>Clinton ESP Web
page.

The NRC also announced in early March that it was meeting with Duke Power
to discuss Duke's possible application for a "combined license" to build a
nuclear plant. When the nation's current 104 licensed reactors were built,
an applicant had to first obtain a construction permit, and could only
obtain an operating license once the plant was built and had passed all
applicable tests. In 1989, the NRC amended its licensing regulations to
allow a combined license, which authorizes both construction and
conditional operation of a nuclear power plant. According to the NRC, the
combined license process incorporates inspections, tests, analyses, and
acceptance criteria into the construction phase, thereby demonstrating that
the reactor could operate safely once construction is complete. See the
<http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/news/2005/05-046.html>NRC
press release.